The City of Oshawa is taking a hard stance against a development plan that could see 180 new homes built near Renaissance Park.
Council passed a motion this week, stating its disapproval with the plan by Graywood Developments. The company has filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board in hopes it will give the project the green light.
The OMB was an independent tribunal that held hearings and made decisions on land-use planning matters, and it has been criticized for overruling local council decisions in favour of developers. Earlier this month, it was replaced with the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, but Graywood submitted their appeal before the switch.
The mayor says the city had been working with Graywood since January 2017. “We were still in that conversation process,” he said. “We’re not in agreement with what they’re doing.”
The city’s stance on the project echoes the residents’ — many of whom have formed a group called “Stop the Sprawl” to protest the development. Paul Hughes, a member of the group, says he was “elated” when he heard the city opposed the plan.
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“We’re going to keep fighting the fight,” said Hughes, whose view of the lake may be blocked if the homes are built.
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He had helped send out a petition to put the brakes on the project and it garnered 1,000 signatures.
Steve Chambers, who has been living near Renaissance Park for roughly 20 years, says he is afraid the development will bring more traffic and noise to his quiet area. “The density… is way too heavy for this area,” he said.
Hughes says one of the main reasons he is opposing it is because he fears the wildlife populating the area will have nowhere else to go. “I’ve seen white owls, grey owls, doves… coyotes,” he said. “People are going to lose this. It’s devastating.”
The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority said the waterfront lands are “significant wildlife habitat for migratory butterflies,” and Hughes says the trees are full of the insects in the summertime. “It’s unreal,” Hughes said. “It’s just beautiful.”
Neil Pattison of Graywood Developments says his team “shares a passion for the area with the local residents,” and they plan to continue to work with the City of Oshawa to address their concerns. “We’re still going to work towards coming up with a negotiated settlement to get to a solution that works for everybody,” said Pattison.
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